National Trust Properties in Bedfordshire
For a Historic Day Out Visit a National Trust Property
With the counties of Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire in the north, Buckinghamshire in the west and Hertfordshire in the south-east, this area has some of England's most beautiful countryside, including many historic villages and a number of stately homes, and there are some great places to go walking.
Both the M1 Motorway and the A5 (Roman Watling Street) run through Bedfordshire, and also main railway lines running north out of London pass through the county, so getting to Bedfordshire is relatively easy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
National Trust Properties in Bedfordshire
There are 3 National Trust properties in Bedfordshire:
Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre and Whipsnade Estate
Dunstable Road, Whipsnade, Bedfordshire LU6 2GY
Telephone: 01582 500920
Email: dunstabledowns@nationaltrust.org.uk
This is a wonderful outdoor site on the spectacular Chiltern Downs, a chalk ridge that overlooks the Vale of Aylesbury.
It's a great place to fly kites, take a walk, or sit back and watch gliders soaring over the downs, having taken off from the nearby airfield.
There is also a monthly Farmers Market and a wide program of other events.
Whipsnade Tree Cathedral, Whipsnade, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 2LL
Telephone: 01582 872406
Email: whipsnadetc@nationaltrust.org.uk
This is an incredible outdoor cathedral that was created after the First World War in a spirit of "faith, hope and reconciliation".
Willington Dovecote And Stables
Willington, near Bedford, Bedfordshire
Telephone: 01480 301494
Email: willingtondovecote@nationaltrust.org.uk
This is a wonderful 16th century stone dovecote and stables, that are alongside the church in the scenic village of Willington.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other Visitor Attractions in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire has a lot of other visitor attractions, including:
Whipsnade Zoo near Dunstable, which is a companion to London Zoo and which covers 600 acres on the Chiltern Downs.
The Shuttleworth Collection which is one of the most prestigious aircraft museums in the world, due to the number of old aircraft there, dating back to 1909.
Luton Hoo is an old stately home built in the 1700's by the famous architect Robert Adam, and the gardens were landscaped by Capability Brown.
Woburn Abbey is the ancestral home of the Duke of Bedford, and the house and gardens are open to the public. Also in the grounds you can visit the famous Woburn Safari Park.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About The National Trust
The National Trust is an independent charity in the UK that helps to protect and open to the public over 350 historic houses, gardens and ancient monuments.
The charity also looks after forests, woods, beaches and farmland, as well as archaeological sites, castles, nature reserves and historic villages.
The National Trust has over 3.6 million members, and a team of 55,000 volunteers.
More than 14 million people pay to visit National Trust properties annually, and 50 million are estimated to visit open air sites.
CLICK HERE to find out more and to join The National Trust.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sources:
Published by Tony Payne
Tony Payne is a freelance writer who lives on the South Coast of England with his wife Debbie. He has worked in the IT Industry all his life, and has been writing on various sites for the last 10 years. T... View profile
Miami Marine Stadium Listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservat...The Miami Marine Stadium may be saved after being placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 11 most endangered historic places list. 
Lake District Campsite: Wasdale Head, Cumbria, UKReview of the National Trust Wasdale Head Campsite in Cumbria, England. Camping in the Lake District.
Visiting Avebury in the UKAs far as henges go, Avebury is one of the best kept secrets out there.- Oahu, Hawaii: Its Attractions and ActivitiesIT'S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD. In Hawai'i, the sharing of food can be a significant experience that connects people of diverse cultures, communities, and generations.
- Understanding the National DebtPeople look at the national debt clock with all of the trillions of dollars seeming to spiral out of control second by second at thousands of dollars per minute their jaws dropping to the floor. That is because they...
- America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
- Learn US History on Summer Travels in New York and Pennsylvania
- Plan Your London Vacation Around Britain's Great Gardens
- Summer Travel Guide to London on a Budget
- Will Andrew Lloyd Webber Save Abbey Road Studios?
- Cliveden, British National Trust Estate and Hotel
- Valspar Paint and National Trust for Historic Preservation Partner to Document His...
11 Comments
Post a CommentI would love to visit these places.
sickly pw from the sick writer
I would love to visit England.
This would be a treasure trove to see...and to bring the camera along. Great stuff Tony.
Wonderful places.
Pleased this article helped bring back memories Mike.
I've actually been to the Whipsnade Zoo and have seen the Shuttleworth Collection. Thay are both fabulous. Thanks, Tony!
Great information! Good job!
Well done, Tony.
I hope cutbacks don't happen in the UK either, and it has happened with some public buildings, but most of the historic monuments are under protection orders at least. With the National Trust being a charity, and with a lot of regular annual members, you know that by joining you are helping to preserve the history of Britain. Plus of course, as a member you get to enter National Trust sites for free.